Country Brewer

"People first got into home brewing to save money," says Lindsay Swift, who has been in the brew business for 15-or so years. "But now it's about getting a better beer, and the rest is just a bonus."

Swift owns two Country Brewer shops, one of the many home brew chains that have popped up around Sydney. Swift reckons the whole thing takes a minute to learn, and a lifetime to master, but that's half the fun. The hard part is sterilisation; once you've mastered that, he says, bob's your (drunk) uncle. "In home brewing, you never stop learning, you always improve, but right from the outset you can make a fantastic beer."

Lindsay runs home brewers classes, cheese-making classes and yogurt, tofu and coffee roasting classes – but anyone can swing by his shop for a free sample and quick lesson. "There's always a few more tricks to it. We're on hand to teach you how to refine your brew, because the reality is you can't buy what you can brew. You can add malts, hops and tailor it to your taste, all for a bargain."